Single trigger mechanism for double barrelled shot-guns



p 1961 J. E. ORR 2,999,3

SINGLE TRIGGER MECHANISM FOR DOUBLE BARRELLED SHOT-GUNS Filed Au 24, 1959 G s Sheets-Sheet 1 H B FIG.5

5! I I 9a 54 5 i a 22 w a 57 /'J J'L IZ l3 nwslvme i W 3 5y- Sept. 12, 1961 J. E. ORR 2,999,327

SINGLE TRIGGER MECHANISM FOR DOUBLE BARRELLED SHOT-GUNS Filed'Aug. 24, 1959 a 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i i l FIG. 8

66 FIG 9 f 7 n 9 M 77 zs a0 80 INVENTOE @mm, Troe/vsb' Sept. 12, 1961 J. E. ORR ,9

SINGLE TRIGGER MECHANISM FOR DOUBLE BARRELLED SHOT-GUNS Filed Aug. 24, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG.H

9a m 9 m /14 'FIGJIQ. I w J 5 9b 1s i INVENTOR Jolt/z Eyton Orr A TTORNEY United States Patent irmmgham, u an Filed Aug. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 835,522 8 Claims. (Cl. 4242) The present invention relates to single trigger mechanism for double barrelled guns or rifles, hereinafter referred to for convenience and not in any limiting sense as guns.

It is known that when using such guns the firing of the first barrel produces a recoil which causes the users finger to relax its pressure upon the trigger or even become removed completely from the trigger, and that subsequently reaction from the users shoulder produces a return movement of the gun in a forward direction thereby restoring the users finger pressure on the trigger or even increasing it beyond the value attained immediately prior to the firing of the first barrel so that there occurs a sec- 0nd or what is usually termed an involuntary pull on the trigger.

Various single trigger mechanisms have been proposed and constructed including devices for avoiding inadvertent firing of the second barrel due to the involuntary pull but many of these are complicated and unreliable besides being expensive to manufacture.

Furthermore it is desirable to provide selection as to the order of firing the barrels and this requirement has in many cases led to further complication in single tn'gger mechanisms in which this facility has been provided.

The object of the present invention is to provide in or for a double barrelled gun single trigger mechanism of new or improved construction which is simple and reliable in operation and can be manufactured without incurring high cost.

The present invention is applicable to a single trigger mechanism for a double-barrelled gun and comprising a body, first and second firing members mounted therein, spring means for urging said firing members towards fired positions and first and second scars in said body coacting with said first and second firing members respectively to retain same releasably in cocked positions and comprises the provision in such single trigger mechanism of the combination of a trigger movable relatively to said body between cocked and fired positions, an inertia member mounted movably on said trigger and movable therewith in a first direction during movement of said trigger, and movable relatively to said trigger in each of a second direction in response to gun recoil and a third direction said first, second and third directions being mutually transverse, a primary abutment face on said inertia member, a secondary abutment face on said inertia member, abutment faces on said sears, selector means including a manually operable selector member operatively connected with said inertia member for moving same in said third direction to bring at least part of said primary abutment face into overlapping relation as viewed along said first direction with said abutment face on one of said scars and out of overlapping relation with said abutment face on the other of said sears selectively while positioning said secondary abutment face in said third direction potentially to be operative in relation to said abutment face of said other of said sears, to effect release of said one sear only upon movement of said trigger to its fired position, said inertia member having a mass such that it is moved along said second direction to an inoperative position in response to recoil of the gun upon release of said one scar and subsequent firing of the associated barrel of the gun, means urging said inertia member to an operative position along said second direction and active to effect such movement upon cessation of gun recoil, said secondary abutment face of said inertia member having at least a part disposed in overlapping relation with said abutment face of said other of said sears when said inertia member occupies said operative position to effect release of said other of said sears in response to movement of said inertia member in said first direction when said trigger is again moved to its fired position.

The term sear is to be deemed to include not only the usual pivoted arm cooperating with a shoulder in an associated tumbler but any other suitable or equivalent form of releasing member which is displaced pivotally or otherwise by the trigger in order to release an associated firing pin.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and advantageous form of selector means for selecting the firing member to be released in response to the first pull of the trigger.

Such selector means preferably includes a manually operable selector member which is movably mounted on said trigger at a position at the upper end of the finger piece thereof and forwardly thereof. The selector member may comprise a spindle mounted on said trigger and extending lengthwise of said body, said spindle including a finger piece situated forwardly of and adjacent to the upper end of the finger piece of the trigger and the spindle having an eccentric element at its rearward end coacting with the inertia member of the single trigger mechanism to move same in said third direction to effect the requisite selection as to the firing member to be released in response to the first pull on the finger piece of the trigger.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a view in side elevation and partly in cross section of one construction of single trigger mechanism in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view of the same construction in front elevation.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary rear view illustrating the operative connection between the selector member and the rocker.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing a further construction of single trigger mechanism in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of the construction shown in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a view in side elevation similar to FIG- URE l and yet another construction in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary plan view thereof.

FIGURE 9 is a cross sectional view on the line 9-9 of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 10 is a view in side elevation and partly in cross section of an alternative form of selector member embodying spring means at its rearward end for spring loading the rocker and applicable to the foregoing constructions illustrated.

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary view in side elevation showing an arrangement of hammers and scars applicable to the construction illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 4.

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary plan view of the parts shown in FIGURE 11 and FIGURES l3 and 14 are fragmentary views in side elevation showing the tails of the scars of the constructions illustrated respectively in FIG URES 5 to 6 and FIGURES 7 to 9 one sear in each case being shown in its fired position and the other in its unfired position.

Referring firstly to the construction illustrated in FIG- URES 1 to 4 a fragment of the action body of the gun is indicated at 10, such body including a fixed trigger plate 11 extending horizontally between the side plates of the action body at the lower edges thereof.

Pivotally mounted about'a common horizontal axis constituted by a pivot pin 14 between the side plates of the action body are a pair of sears 12 and 13 which only the former is visible in FIGURE 1.

As seen in FIGURE 11 the sears 12' and 13 cooperate with respective hammers 15 and 9. These hammers 15 and 9 have shoulders, such as that seen at 16 in the case of the hammer 15, with which the forward ends of respective sears cooperate to retain the hammers against anti-clockwise rotation, as seen in the case of the hammer 9. The hammers can be released from their respective sears by depression of the forward ends thereof produced by raising the rearward ends or tails, as seen in FIGURE 11 in the case of the sear 12, and the hammers can then travel forwardly under the influence of respective springs 15b and 9b so as to cause firing pins 15a and 9a to move forwardly and fire the barrels. The springs 15b and 9b may be of generally U-shape having one limb engaging in an appropriate recess in its associated hammer and the other limb bearing against a fixed part 8 of the action body of the gun. In FIGURE 12 which shows a plan view of the hammers 9 and 15 and associated sears 13 and 12 respectively, the hammers and sears are shown spaced apart from each other by a distance which is greater than the actual spacing in the mechanism shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, this being done only for clarity in the illustration.

The trigger plate 11 is formed with an elongated rectangular shaped aperture, as seen in plan, and in this aperture is pivotally mounted a trigger member comprising a trigger frame consisting of spaced parallel longitudinally extending limbs 17 and 18 connected at their rearward ends by an integral cross limb 19 and at their forward ends having upstanding lugs 20 and 21 apertured to receive a pivot pin 22, the extremities of which are journalled in the side plates of the action body so that the trigger member is pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis near its forward end.

The trigger frame further includes an integral horizontal web 23 connecting the side limbs 17 and 18 and the end limb 19, from the underside of the web 23 extends the finger piece 24 of the trigger, this being integrally connected to the web 23 and strengthened by a blade or web 25.

When the finger piece 24 is pulled in a rearward direction the trigger member is rocked about the pin 22 and this movement is transmitted to the sear 12 and the sear 13 through an intermediary inertia member in the form of a rocker 26.

This rocker is mounted so as to be movable in three directions. Firstly it is movable in a vertical, or approximately vertical, arcuate path about the pin 22 by virtue of its mounting on the trigger member; secondly it can rock or oscillate about its own axis between an operative position as shown in full lines and a temporary inoperative position as indicated in broken lines; thirdly it can move axially of its own pivotal axis.

Movement in these three directions is utilised firstly to release the sears from their cocked positions so as to release the hammers and cause firing pins in the gun to move forwardly and fire the barrels in the required order, secondly to ensure that the rocker is disposed in an inoperative position during the occurrence of the involuntary pull previously referred to, and thirdly to provide for selection as to the sear to be released in response to the first pull of the trigger it being understood that the other sear is released in response to the third pull of the trigger which occurs after the involuntary pull (or a second deliberate pull in the event of the first barrel not firing).

The rocker is itself pivotally mounted on a horizontal rocker pin 28 extending between the limbs 17 and 18 of the trigger frame and spaced horizontally from the trigger member pivot pin 22. The boss 29 of the rocker surrounding its pivot pin 28 includes a forwardly projecting lug 30 upon the upper face of which bears a blade spring 31 secured intermediate its ends by a screw 32 to the upper face of the trigger frame web 23.

At its upper end the rocker is formed with a head 33 of a weight selected to ensure that the rocker has the moment of inertia enabling it to operate in the manner hereinafter described.

The forward part of this head is formed with abutment faces for cooperating the abutment faces 12a, 134: on the sears 12 and 13 which are in the form of bar-like levers disposed closely adjacent to each other and each of a width such that it can enter into contact with the central abutment face of the head as hereinafter described. These abutment faces on the head comprise a pair of laterally spaced outer face portions collectively forming a primary abutment face each in the form of a step consisting of a horizontal platform portion 34 and an upwardly and rearwardly extending riser portion 35. With the rocker set in the axial position illustrated one of these laterally spaced abutment face portions cooperates with an abutment face of the sear 12 constituted by the underside of its tail, the existence of the riser portion 35 of the primary abutment face on the rocker maintaining this in the upright position illustrated in FIGURE 1 and preventing it from being rocked forwardly by the spring 31.

In the centre there is a secondary abutment face 36, which may be of concave arcuate form, as seen in FIG- URE 1, the forward lower extremities of this face being disposed out of angular registration with the abutment face at the underside of the second sear 13 when the rocker occupies the position shown in FIGURE 1.

For moving the rocker axially of its pin 28 an operating or selector member is provided which may be in the form of a spindle 38 arranged lengthwise of the trigger frame and journalled rotatably in a longitudinal bore extending through the web 23 thereof. At its forward end this selector member is provided with a finger piece 39 which may be knurled as indicated at 40 to facilitate rotation, such finger piece being situated forwardly of and adjacent to the upper end of the finger piece 24 of the trigger so that it can conveniently be engaged by the upper surface of a users finger hooked around the trigger in the usual manner.

At its rearward end the spindle 38 has its side faces machined or cut-away to form flats 41, this portion of the spindle entering an inverted V shaped recess 42 in the underside of the rocker boss 29 so that the spindle cooperates cam-Wise with the sides of this recess in displacing the rocker axially.

The upper face of the finger piece 39 may be of shallow inverted V shaped form, the respective plane elements 43 and 44 of this face cooperating with the forward end portion of the spring 31 to retain the spindle non-prohibitively in one or the other of two positions wherein the rocker is positioned axially in one or the other of two positions corresponding to selection of the sear 12 or the sear 13 for release in response to the first pull on the trigger.

When the trigger is first pulled the platform portion 34 of one lateral abutment face portion raises the tail of the sear 12 and releases this from the shoulder 16 so that the firing pin associated with the hammer 15 travels forward and its barrel fired. The tail of the sear 12 is retained in a raised position by engagement of the forward part of the surface with the surface 45 of the hammer 15- and the rocker 26 oscillates forwardly about its pivot pin 28 to an extent permitted by the inclined riser portion 35 of the lateral abutment face portion, it being understood that pressure from the users' finger at such time is relaxed from the trigger 24.

During subsequent rebound of the gun from the users shoulder the rocker oscillates rearwardly to an inoperati'v'e position shown by the broken lines 27 and the reestablishrnent of contact between the trigger of the user's finger leading to the involuntary pull is therefore not effective to bring the forward horizontal portion of the further central secondary abutment face 36 beneath the abutment face 13a at the underside of the tail of sear 13. 4

When, however, rebound has ceased the spring 31 oscillates the rocker forwardly so that the abutment face 36 is brought angularly into registration with the abutment face 13a of the tail of sear 13 and the subsequent or third pull on the trigger is effective to release sear 13.

When the scars 12 and 13 are recocked for the next firing of the gun, the rocker is brought automatically to the upright position shown in FIGURE 1 from the forwardly rocked position which it will attain after firing both barrels by virtue of engagement of the lower rearward corner of the sear selected for first firing with the inclined riser portion 35, this corner being brought into the apex of the re-entrant angle formed by the portions 34 and 35 of the operative lateral abutment face portion.

Referring to FIGURES and 6 of the drawings wherein component parts of like form to those embodied in the previously described construction have been designated by like reference numerals, the rocker in this case indicated generally at 46 is adapted to be latched in its inoperative position and subsequently freed from this position by the occurrence of the involuntary pull.

In this construction the central abutment face of the rocker constitutes the primary abutment face and comprises two portions 47 and 48 meeting to form a reentrant angle, the apex of which is engaged by the forward lower corner of an inturned sear tail 49 on the sear 13, the scars as before engaging with shoulders on hammers of which that associated with the sear 13 is seen at 50.

The further or secondary abutment face, comprises two face portions, which are disposed one on each side of the central web or plate of the rocker on the periphery of which the abutment face 47, 48 is formed, are of arcuate form as indicated at 51, 52, the radius of curvature being equal to the radial distance from the pivot pin 28 of the rocker of the apex of the abutment face 47, 48. The further abutment faces 51, 52, are however, so positioned that they are out of registration angularly with the other inturned sear tail 53 of the sear 12. The sear tails 49, 53 afford abutment faces 49a, 53a which engage with abutment face portions 47, 48 on the one hand and with abutment face portion 51 on the other hand respectively as seen in FIGURE 6.

The forward face of the rocker is provided with a latch element in the form of a tooth 54, in the path of the under-face of which is disposed a cooperative latching element in the form of a pin 55 mounted between the side plates of the action body. The rocker is urged rotationally about its pivot pin 28 in a clockwise direction by a leaf spring 56 which may be secured to the rocker and bear at its forward end on the upper face of the web 53 of the trigger frame.

The operation of this construction is as follows. When the trigger is first pulled the sear 13 is released from the shoulder of its hammer 50 and the associated barrel is fired, the sear being retained in a raised position as previously described in connection with the construction of FIGURE 1. Due to recoil the rocker oscillates forwardly and the under face of its tooth 54 engages freely over the pin 55. Relaxation of the pressure on the trigger by the user's finger causes the trigger member, and hence the rocker, to fall and the line of contact between the under face of the tooth and the pin 55 being below a plane containing the centre of the pin 55 and the pivot pin 28, the rocker is positively retained in this inoperative position.

During rebound, when the involuntary pull occurs, the

trigger member is again raised and the rocker'tooth 54 is; freed from engagement with the pin 55 and oscillates rearwardly, partly by its own inertia and partly under the influence of the spring 56, so as to attain a second operative position defined by engagement of the forward face 57 of the'trigger frame limb 19 with the rearwardly directed face of the rocker adjacent to the pivot pin 28. In this position the further abutment face portions 51 and 52 are disposed in angular registration with the sear tails, and one of them, namely the abutment face portion 51, then becomes operative to engage the opposed abutment face of the sear tail 53 and release the sear 12 during the third pull of the trigger.

Referring now to the construction illustrated in FIG- URES 7 and 8 and 9 wherein again component parts-0f like form to those of the constructions previously described are designated by like reference numerals, the trigger member in this case comprises a trigger block 58 mounted on pivot pin 22, which block is disposed at the forward end of the trigger frame, the limbs 17 and 18 of the latter being formed at their rearward ends with lugs 19a and 19b between which the pivot pin 28 of the rocker is journalled.

In this construction, as in that illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6, the rocker is adapted to be latched in its inoperative position. In the present case, however, the latching element on the rocker is in the form of a tooth 59 formed on the rocker below the pivot pin 28 and having a rearwardly directed face 60 laying in a plane parallel, or approximately parallel, to the vertical arcuate movement of the rocker as a whole in response to movement of the trigger member, and an under face 61 setat an angle to the horizontal plane which determines the angular position occupied by the rocker when in its inoperative position. The cooperative latching element is in the form of a step disposed behind the tooth 59.

Also provided adjacent to the rocker, and conveniently embodied in the same member as that in which the latching step is embodied is a gating member 62 the vertical forwardly directed face 63 of which is formed with a pair of gating teeth 64 spaced horizontally apart and cooperating with a gate formation in the form of spaced horizontal teeth 65 of the rocker. At the lateral extremities of the gating member 62 the forwardly directed face of this may also embody limiting stops 66.

The central primary abutment face of the rocker indicated generally at 67 comprises two portions 68 and 69 meeting to form a re-entrant angle the apex of which is shown engaged by sear tail 70 of sear 13. This tail 70 affords an abutment face 7a (FIGURES 7 and 14).

The rocker incorporates a weighting portion 71 to ensure that its moment of inertia is sufficiently high.

The further or secondary abutment face comprises face portions which are in the form of shelves or platforms one on each side of the central web or plate, the periphery of which constitutes the primary central abutment face, these further face portions indicated at 72 and 73 being of arcuate form and in the upright position of the rocker which it occupies when both sears are cocked, these further face portions are angularly out of registration with the abutment faces of the sear tails with which ultimately one of them cooperates.

The selector or operating member in this construction comprises a spindle 74 journalled in a bore extending through the trigger block 58 and formed at its rear-ward end with a crank 75, the pin 76 of which engages in a vertical slot or recess 77 in the forwardly directed face of the rocker adjacent to the pivot pin 28.

At its forward end the spindle 74 is provided with a finger piece 79 and it is arranged to be retained in one or the other of two positions corresponding to those in which the rocker is required to be positioned axially by means of a plunger 80 mounted in a vertical bore in the block 58 acted upon by a coiled compression spring 81 retained in position by a plug 82. A plunger 80 bears on one of two symmetrically arranged inclined flats machined on the spindle, one of these being shown at 89.

The operation of this construction is as follows. When the trigger 24 is first pressed, the trigger member and rocker rise vertically the rocker being retained in its upright position by engagement of the sear tail 70 in the re-entrant abutment face 68, 69 and also initially by engagement of the face 60 of its tooth with the forward face of the step. When the first sear 13 is released its tail remains raised as previously described in connection with the construction at FIGURE 1 the rocker oscillates forwardly since the lower extremity of the tooth 59 is now clear of the upper surface 84 of the step, such rotation taking place in consequence of the inertia of'the rocker and the recoil of the gun, the result being that the under-surface 61 of the tooth is brought into vertically spaced opposed relation to the upper face 84 of the step and then into contact with this face as the trigge member and rocker are lowered.

The rocker is thus retained in a forwardly oscillated, inoperative position until it is again raised by the involuntary pull on the trigger, whereupon it oscillates rearwardly partly under the influence of its own inertia and rebound of the gun, and partly by virtue of the blade spring 56 so that the tooth 59 is brought clear of the forward face of the step and the rocker is then angularly positioned by engagement with the upper face 84 of the step with the under face 85 of the rocker which then overlies the step.

This results in the rocker being retained in a rearwardly oscillated position so that the further abutment face 72 is brought into angular registration with an abutment face 86a afforded by the sear tail 86 (FIGURE 14). Release of the-second sear 12 takes place upon the third pull of the trigger. Y

It will be observed that no bodily raising of the trigger can take place unless the teeth 65 of the rocker are in registration with the gaps defined by the teeth 64 of the gaiting member.

In the modification illustrated in FIGURE the crank of the selector spindle is formed with a bore 87 in which is disposed a plunger 87a urged rearwardlyby a coiled compression spring 88. The plunger bears on the forwardly directed face of the slot 77 on the rocker above the axis of the pivot pin 28 and serves to spring load the rocker for rearward oscillation, and replaces the spring 56.

What I claim then is:

1. In a single trigger mechanism for a double-barrellcd gun comprising a body, first and second firing members mounted therein, spring means urging said firing members towards fired positions, and first and second sears in said body coacting with said first and second firing members respectively to retain same releasably in cocked positions, the provision in combination; of a trigger movable relatively to said body between cocked and fired positions, an inertia member mounted movably on said trigger and movable therewith in a first direction during movement of said trigger, and movable relatively to said trigger in each of a second dirmtion in response to recoil and a third direction, said first, second and third directions being mutually transverse, a primary abutment face on said inertia member, a secondary abutment face on said inertia member, abutment faces on said sears, selector means including a manually operable selector member operatively connected with said inertia member for moving to its fired position, said inertia member having a mass such that it is moved along said second direction to an inoperative position in response to recoil of the gun upon release of said one scar and subsequent firing of the as sociated barrel of the gun, means urging said inertia member to an operative position along said second direction and active to effect such movement upon cessation of gun recoil, said secondary abutment face of said inertia member having at least a part disposed in overlapping relation-with said abutment face of said other of said sears when said inertia member occupies said operative position to effect release of said other of said scars in response to movement of said inertia member in said first direction when said trigger is again moved to its fired position.

2: In a single trigger mechanism for a doublebarrelled gun comprising a body, first and second firing members mounted therein, spring means urging said firing members towards fired positions, and first and second scars in said body coacting with said first and second firing members respectively to retain same releasably in cocked position, the provision in combination; of a trigger movable relatively to said body between cocked and fired positions, an inertia member comprising a rocker pivotally mounted on said 'tr-igger'a-bout a horizontal axis movable with said trigger in a first direction during movement of said trigger upwardly and downwardly relatively to said axis, and movable relatively to said trigger in each of a second direction in response to gun recoil forwardly and rearwardly of said axis and a third direction along said axis, a primary abutment [face of re-entrant form on said inertia member, a'secondary abutment face on said inertia member, abutment faces on said sears, selector means including a manually operable selector member operatively connected with said inertia member for moving same in said third direction to bring at least part of said primary abutment face into overlapping relation as viewed along said first direction with said abutment face on one of said scars and out of overlapping relation with said abutment face on the other of said seaTrs selectively while positioning said secondary abutment face in said third direction potentially to be operative in relation to said abutment face of said other of said sears, to eifect release of said one sear only upon movement of said trigger to its fired position, said abutment face on said one of said sears coacting with said re-entrant primary abutment face to position said inertia member in said second direction with said secondary abutment face out of overlap with said abutment face of said other of said sears, said inertia member having a mass such that it is moved along said second direction to an inoperative position in response to recoil of the gun upon release of said one searand subsequent firing of the associated barrel of the gun, means urging said inertia member to an operative position along said second direction and active to effect such movement upon cessation of gun recoil, said secondary abutment face of said inertia member having at least a part disposed in overlapping relation with said abutment face of said other of said sears when said inertia member occupies said operative position to effect release of said other of said scars in response to movement of said inertia member in said first direction when said trigger is again moved to its fired position.

3. In a single trigger mechanism for a double-barrelled gun comprising a body, first and second firing members mounted therein, spring means urging said firing members towards fired positions, and first and second sea-rs in said body coacting with said first and second firing members respectively to retain same releasably in cocked positions, the provision in combination; of a trigger movable relatively to said body between cocked and fired positions, an inertia member comprising a rocker pivotally mounted on said trigger about a horizontal axis and movable with said trigger in a-first direction during movement of said! trigger upwardly and downwardly relatively-to said axis, and movable relatively to said trigger in each of a second direction in response to gun recoil forwardly and rearwardly of said axis and a third direction along said .axis, a primary abutment face on said rocker situated centrally of its dimension along said third direction, a secondary abutment face on said inertia member, having parts situated on both sides of said primary abutment face, abut ment faces on said sears, selector means including a'm'anually operable selector member operatively connected with said inertia member for moving same in said third direction to bring at least part of said primary abutment face into overlapping relation as viewed along saidfirst direction with said abutment face on one of said scars and out of overlapping relation with said abutment face on the other of said sears selectively while positioning said secondary abutment face in said third direction potentially to be operative in relation to said abutment face of said other of said sears, to eflEect release of said one seat-only upon movement of said trigger to its fired position said inertia member having a mass such that it is moved along said second direction to an inoperative position in response to recoil of the gun upon release or said one sear andsubsequent firing of the associated barrel of the gun,.means urging said inertia member to an operative positionalong said second direction and active to effect such movement upon cessation of gun recoil, said secondary abutment face of said inertia memberhaving at least arpart-idis-posed in overlapping relation with said abutment face of said other of said sears when said inertia; member occupies said operative position to effect release of said other'of said seats in response to movement of said inertia member in said first direction when said trigger is again moved to its fired position. 2.3

4.' In a single trigger mechanism for a dou'ble-barrelled gun comprising a body, first and second firing members mounted therein, spring means urging said firing towards fired positions, and first and second said body ccacting with said first and secondfiring men} bers respectively to retain same releasably in cocked positions, the provision in combination; of a trigger movable relatively to said body between cooked and fired positions, an inertia member comprising a rocker pivotally mounted on said trigger about a horizontal axis and movable with said trigger in a first direction during movement of said trigger upwardly and downwardly relatively to said axis, and movable relatively to said trigger in each of' a second direction in response to gun recoil forwardly and rearwardly of said axis and a third direction along said axis, a primary abutment face on said inertia member, a secondary abutment face on said inertia member, abutment faces on said sears, selector means including a manually operable selector member operatively connected with said inertia member for moving same in said third direction to bring at least part of said primary abutment face into overlapping relation as viewed along said first direction with said abutment face on one of said scars and out of overlapping relation with said'abutm'ent face on the other of said sears selectively while positioning said secondary abutment face in said third direction potentially to be'operative in relation to said abutment face'of said other of said sears, to effect release of one sear only upon movement of said trigger to its fired position,*said inertia member having ,a mass such that it is moved along said second direction to an imperative position in response to recoil of the gun upon release of said one scar and subsequent firing of the associated barrel ofthe gun, latching means for retaining said inertia member'tempora'rily in said inoperative .position, and releasable in response to movement of said trigger to its fired position, means urging said inertia member to an operative position along said second direction and active to effect such movement upon cessation of gun recoil and upon release of said latching means, said secondary abutment face of said inertia member having at least a part ed. in overlapping relationwith said abutment face of saidother ofsaid sears rwh'en saidinertia member occupies said operative position-to efiectjrelease of said other of said sears in responseito movement of said inertia member in said. first direction when said trigger-is again moved to its fired positiom- 5. Ina-single trigger mechanism for a double-barrelled gun comprisinga body, and secondfirin-g members mounted therein, spring means urging said firing members towards fired positions, and first and-second scars in said body coactin-g with said first and/second firing members, respectively to. retain same relcasably in cocked positions, theprovision in combination; of a trigger movable relativelyto said body between cocked and fired positions, an inertia; member comprising a rocker pivotal-1y mounted on said trigger about a horizontal axis and movable with said trigger in a firstdirection during movement of said trigger upwardlyand downwardly relatively to said axis, and movable relatively tosaid trigger in each of a second direction in response to gun recoil forwardly and rearwardly otzsaid apda thirdidirection along said axis, a primary abutment face 'on said inertia member, a secondary. abutment .face on said inertia member, abutment faces on said sears,- selector means including a manually operable ,selector member operatively connected with saidinertia-membeb-for moving same in said third direction to bring atileast part of saidprimary abutment face into overlapping relation .as viewed along said first directions with said abutment face on one of said. scars and out of overlapping relation said abutment face on the other of,sai d sears, selectively. while. positioning said sec-'- ondary abutment face in' saidthird direction potentially to be operative. in relation to. said abutment face of said other of said sears, to,efiect release of said one sear only upon movement of said trigger to its fired position, said inertia member having amass such that it is moved along said seconddirection to an inoperative position in response to recoil'of the gun upon release of said one scar and subsequent firing of the associated barrel of the gun, latching means :for retaining said inertia member temporarily in said inoperative position comprising a tooth on said inertia member, and a retaining element fixed to said body below the path ofmovement of said tooth in movement of said inertia member along said second direction to its inoperative position, said tooth being releasable from said retaining element in response to movement of said trigger to its fired position, means urging said inertia member to an operative position along said second direction and active to effect such movement upon cessation of gun rewil and upon release of said latching means, said secondary abutment face of said inertia member having at least a part disposed in overlapping relation with said abutment face of said other of said sears when said inertia member occupies said operative position to efiect release of said other of said sears in response to movement of said inertia member in said first direction when said trigger is again moved to its fired position. I

6. In a, single trigger mechanism for a double-bar: rclled gun comprising a body, first and second firing members mounted therein, spring means urging said firing members towardsfired positions, and first and second scars in said body coacting with said first and second firing members respectively to retain same re leasably in cocked positions, the provision in combination; of a trigger movable relatively to said body between cocked and fired positions, an inertia member comprising a rocker'pivotally mounted on said trigger about a horizontal axis and movable with said-trigger in a first direction during movement of said trigger upwardly and downwardly relatively to said axis, and movable relatively to said trigger in each of second direction in response to gun recoil forwardly and rearwardly of said axis and a third direction along said axis, a primary abutment face on said inertia member, a secondary abutment face on said inertia member, abutment faces on said sears," selector means including a manually operable selector member operatively connected with said inertia member for moving same in said third direction to bring at least part of said primary abutment face intooven lapping-relation as viewed along said first directions with said abutment face on one of said sears and out of overlapping relation with s'aid abutment face on the other of said sears selectively while positioning said secondary abutment face i-n 'said third direction potentially to be operative in relation "to said abutment face of said other of said sears, to effect release 'of said one sear only upon movement of said trigger to its fired position, said inertia member'having a mass such that it is moved along said second direction to an inoperative position in response to recoil of the gun upon release of said one sear and subsequent firing of the associated barrel of the gun, latching means for retaining said inertia member temporarily in said inoperative position comprising a tooth on said inertia member, and a step element on said body having a top face and a face presented in said second direction, said tooth being initially engaged with the last said face and coacting with said top face to retain said inertia member in its inoperative position in response to trigger movement for firing said barrel associated with said one sear, and being removed from engagement with said top face in response to movement of said trigger to its fired position during rebound of the gun after recoil, means urging said inertia member to an operative position along said second direction and active to effect such movement upon cessation of gun recoil and upon release of said latching means, said secondary abutment face of said inertia member having at least a part disposed in overlapping relation with said abutment face of said other of said sears when said inertia member occupies said operative position to effect release of said other of said sears in response to movement of said inertia member in said first direction when said trigger is again moved to its fired position.

7. In a single trigger mechanism for a double-barrelied gun comprising a body, first and second firing members mounted therein, spring means urging said firing member towards fired positions, and first and second scars in said body coacting with said first and second firing members respectively to retain same releasably in cocked positions, the provision in combination; of a trigger having a finger piece movable relatively to said body between cocked and fired positions, an inertia member mounted movably on said trigger and movable therewith in a first direction during movement of said trigger and movable relatively to said trig ger in each of a second direction in response to gun recoil and a third direction, said first, second and thirddirections being mutually transverse, a primary abutment face on said inertia member, a secondary abutment face on said inertia member, abutment faces on said sears, selector means including a manually operable selector member movably mounted on said trigger at a position at the upper end of said finger piece and forwardly thereof, said selector member being operatively connected with said inertia member for moving same in said third direction to bring at least part of said primary abutment face into overlapping relation as viewed along said first direction with said abutment face on one of said sears and out of overlapping relation with said abutment face on the other of said sears selectively while positioning said secondary abutment face in said third direction potentially to be operative in relation to said abutment face of said other of said sears, to effect release of said one sear only upon movement of said trigger to its fired position, said inertia member having a mass such that it is moved along said second direction to an inoperative position in response to recoil of the' gun upon release of said one sear and subsequent firing of the associated barrel of the gun, means urging said inertia member to an operative position along said second direction and active to effect such movement upon cessation of gun recoil, said secondary abutment face of said inertia member having at least a part disposed in overlapping relation with said abutment face of said other of said sears when said inertia member occupies said operative position to effect release of said other of said sears in response to movement of said inertia member in said first direction when said trigger is again moved to its fired position.

8. In a single trigger mechanism for a double-barreled gun comprising a body, first and second firing members mounted therein, spring means urging said firing members towards fired positions, and first and second scars in said body coacting with said first and second firing members respectively to retain same releasably in cocked positions, the provision in combination; of a trigger having a finger piece movable relatively to said body between cocked and fired positions, an inertia member mounted movably on said trigger and movable therewith in a first direction during movement of said trigger andmovable relatively to said trigger in each of a second direction in response to gun recoil and a third direction, said first, second and third directions being mutually transverse, a primary abutment face on said inertia member, a secondary abutment face on said inertia member, abutment faces on said sears, selector means including a manually operable selector member, said selector member comprising a spindle mounted on said trigger and extending lengthwise of said body, said spindle including a finger piece situated forwardly of and adjacent to the upper end of said finger piece of said trigger and having an eccentric element at its rearward end coacting with said inertia member to move same in said third direction, thereby to bring at least part of said primary abutment face into overlapping relation as viewed along said first direction with said abutment face on one of said sears and out of overlapping relation with said abutment face on the other of said sears selectively while positioning said secondary abutment face in said third direction potentially to be operative in relation to said abutment face of said other of said sears, to effect release of said one sear only upon movement of said trigger to its fired position, said inertia member having a mass such that it is moved along said second direction to an inoperative position in response to recoil of the gun upon release of said one scar and subsequent firing of the associated barrel of the gun, means urging said inertia member to an operative position along said second direction and active to effect such movement upon cessation of gun recoil, said secondary abutment face of said inertia member having at least a part disposed in overlapping relation with said abutment face of said other of said sears when said inertia member occupies said operative position to effect release of said other of said sears in response to movement of said inertia member in said first direction when said trigger is again moved to its fired position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 673,803 Thorneley May 7, 1901 810,811 Lefever Ian. 23, 1906 864,826 Brown Sept. 3, 1907 

